Obama Nominates Ambassadors to France and Ireland

WASHINGTON — President Obama on Friday nominated Jane D. Hartley, the chief executive officer of an economic consulting firm, to be ambassador to France, once more propelling a campaign fund-raiser into a prominent diplomatic position.

Ms. Hartley got her start working for the Democratic National Committee and later served in the White House office of public liaison under President Jimmy Carter. She has worked as an executive at several media companies. Since 2007, she has served as the chief executive officer of the Observatory Group, an economic and political consulting advisory firm with offices in Tokyo, Spain, Washington and New York.

The Center for Responsive Politics listed her as a “bundler” who raised more than $519,000 for Mr. Obama’s re-election effort. Her husband, Ralph L. Schlosstein, is a longtime donor to the Democratic Party.

While appointing prominent fund-raisers is a time-honored tradition in American politics, the Obama administration has been criticized for its extensive use of the practice.

A senior White House official insisted that Ms. Hartley was well qualified for the position because of her role as the chief executive of economic consulting firms for the past two decades and “her depth of knowledge of French political and economic policies.” The White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that Ms. Hartley speaks conversational French.

In another noteworthy nomination, the White House announced on Thursday that Kevin F. O’Malley, a lawyer in St. Louis, would fill the long-vacant post of ambassador to Ireland. Mr. Obama’s delay in selecting an ambassador to Ireland since Dan Rooney, the chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers, resigned from the post in December 2012, has come under criticism.

Mr. O’ Malley has a long career as a trial lawyer and specialized in cases involving medical negligence, white-collar crime and regulatory compliance, according to a statement issued by the law firm he worked at in St. Louis. But he is not well known to the Irish-American community.

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Kevin O’Malley, a St. Louis-based lawyer, was nominated to be ambassador to Ireland.

Rep. Joe Crowley of New York, an Irish-American congressman, said that he had never met Mr. O’Malley but welcomed his nomination.

“While we haven’t met personally, he is a highly respected and accomplished attorney and we need him confirmed,” said Mr. Crowley, a Democrat who has been among the most vocal in criticizing the White House for failing to quickly fill the post.

Niall O’Dowd, the founder of IrishCentral.com, said that Mr. O’Malley’s nomination was a “complete surprise in the Irish-American community as he had not featured in any major Irish-American organizations.” But Mr. O’Dowd noted that Mr. O’Malley is “clearly well connected in the Democratic Party locally and well respected in the legal profession.”

The White House official said that Mr. O’Malley is a second-generation Irish-American, a former federal prosecutor and a respected community leader in St. Louis.

Even as the White House moved to fill a number of diplomatic posts, debate has continued over George J. Tsunis, whom Mr. Obama nominated last year to be ambassador to Norway. Mr. Tsunis, listed as a bundler who funneled over $843,000 to Mr. Obama’s re-election effort, ran into a storm of criticism after he stumbled during a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in January. In comments that prompted some lawmakers to question his qualifications, Mr. Tsunis referred to Norway’s prime minister as “president” and described a party in the ruling coalition as “fringe elements.”

Norwegian-Americans have expressed dismay over the nomination. And this week Senator Al Franken, a Democrat from Minnesota, which has the nation’s largest Norwegian-American community, sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry saying that he planned to vote against confirming Mr. Tsunis.

“Many Minnesotans have expressed concern that Mr. Tsunis’ remarks during the hearing have deeply damaged his credibility with the people of Norway,” Senator Franken wrote.

Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota’s other senator, has also indicated her opposition to the nomination.

Derek Willis contributed reporting.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A3 of the New York edition with the headline: Obama Nominates Ambassadors to France and Ireland. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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